Exercise Intensity

There are people whose idea of fun is to go to a gym and work out until they’re sweaty and exhausted. I’m not one of them.
So if you’re like me, you might be interested in a new study from the Netherlands that suggests that longer, less-intense bouts of exercise, like walking, may be more ...

I’m moving further and further away from the idea that our problems are due to inactivity and overeating.

When I first became diabetic, I bought a heart monitor and carefully tracked my blood sugars with my activity. It turned out that being more or less active had little effect on my blood sugars. I could ride like the wind but if...

I’m moving further and further away from the idea that our problems are due to inactivity and overeating.

When I first became diabetic, I bought a heart monitor and carefully tracked my blood sugars with my activity. It turned out that being more or less active had little effect on my blood sugars. I could ride like the wind but if I’d just eaten pasta my blood sugar would come down but it would linger at a higher level than usual. If, however, I did nothing but didn’t eat any foods that would spike me, my blood sugars were fine.

Don’t get me wrong. I think movement is great for its mental aspects but since it doesn’t address the basic problem, it’s just delaying the inevitable. A person sitting on a couch is going to do far better than another person who takes long swims in polluted water.

Early after Dx, I found that walking brought my BG down faster after a meal. There are graphs in the T2 book illustrating this. But strenuous exercise like moving wood or lifting furniture makes my BG go up.

And it's not just me. I've read that elsewhere. One guy who was a T1 bicycle racer once measured his fellow racers right after...

Early after Dx, I found that walking brought my BG down faster after a meal. There are graphs in the T2 book illustrating this. But strenuous exercise like moving wood or lifting furniture makes my BG go up.

And it's not just me. I've read that elsewhere. One guy who was a T1 bicycle racer once measured his fellow racers right after a race and many were at 140 or so. Stress hormones raise BG.

The difference between them and us is that their BG returned to lower levels fairly quickly.

But I agree that food is more important than exercise for BGs. The guy who studied the Tsimane also concluded that diet is more important than exercise for BMI.